


Apocalyptic

by TraumaTwin



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Broken Bones, Found Family, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, Mind Control, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Player Whump, Wow This Sounds Weird, no promises
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29340162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TraumaTwin/pseuds/TraumaTwin
Summary: adj.: resembling the end of the world; momentous or catastrophic“I’m all that’s left. And I-I don’t know what I’m doing. I d-don’t know how to save them, and take down VILE, when- when I’m just a hacker. I’m just me. And so- and so I called you. Because Red always told me you were one of the only ones who- who listened.”
Relationships: Chase Devineaux & Player, Ivy & Player (Carmen Sandiego), Julia "Jules" Argent & Chase Devineaux, Julia "Jules" Argent & Player, Player & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep, Player & Shadowsan (Carmen Sandiego), Player & Zack (Carmen Sandiego)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 64





	1. Replay

**Author's Note:**

> I'm baaaaaaack  
> I honestly don't really know what this is, I made it in a three hour binge, and I'm feeling spontaneous, so I'm posting it. Idk if I'll actually finish it, but I'll do my best! I've never actually posted a fic I didn't have completed beforehand, so we'll see what happens. This isn't the fic I meant to post, but that gremlin of a thing isn't coming nicely, so I wrote this instead.  
> I haven't seen Season 4, but I know a little about it so parts of this will probably seem familiar. Enjoy!




_I finally got over two hours of sleep in one sitting._

Player kept his eyes closed, unwilling yet to open them to face the day. He was so _tired,_ but he just didn’t have much time to spend on himself anymore.

Oh, to live in the days where his biggest worries were whether or not his mom would discover his nightly activities on the screen…




_I’m traveling, just like I always wanted to._

Well. Not exactly like he wanted to. Player always supposed he would be perusing the globe with someone by his side, his friends, his _family-_ not alone. Never alone.

_8._

_The laptop is up and running at last._

Repairs had never been his forte, but lately he seemed to be taking crash courses in several subjects; electronical restoration was hardly the strangest. Still, he wished that Ivy could-

Player’s eyes flew open, and he shoved that train of thought away, swallowing the automatic lump in his throat. He was supposed to be thinking positive thoughts, only positive thoughts. Seven more to go.




_I have a roof over my head._

A precious commodity now. Player had never really considered how lucky he was, to live in such a home as he had, until it was gone. Never imagined how hard it would be, once he had been cast out on his own (much, _much_ too early-) to survive on his own wits and hacking skills.

Sometimes he daydreamed about his old bedroom. If he ever got to go back, the first thing he was going to do was flop on his bed and take a nap. It certainly deserved more appreciation than he had ever given it, constantly refusing to take a break and instead choosing to sit with his best friends chattering in his ear.

Not that he would ever regret his ( _short, far too short, why-_ ) time with them. Some days, the memories of that time in his life were all that kept him going, all that inspired him to get up and face whatever decided to smash his life to pieces that morning-

_Positivity! Only positivity!_

_6._

_Today I can find out if the hard drive is salvageable._

Player huffed out a breath and instantly regretted it as his ribs screamed at him. He hissed in pain, attempting to curl in on himself before remembering that it would only make it worse to move them. Still, it was progress from what it had been before, which reminded him-

_5._

_My ribs are starting to get better._

The part that really made him mad, honestly, was that they hadn’t even _meant_ to break his ribs- it was just a casualty of war. Means to an end.

It was his own fault, really, for keeping the hard drive on his person. For hoping that they would show mercy, that they wouldn’t have the guts to hurt a scrawny sixteen-year-old boy with nothing to defend himself. For thinking that they would hesitate to be brutal because it was _him._

VILE never had shown mercy. Never would.

_4._

_VILE doesn’t know where I am._

Okay, that was more of a hope than a fact, but he’d done his best to lose them this time. Of course, that was hard to do when they could practically guess his every move.

If- _when_ everything worked out, soon enough VILE could go back to being ridiculously incompetent.

Player had to believe that.

If he didn’t, he wasn’t sure what he would do.

_3._

_ACME is still going strong._

Much to the chagrin of VILE, despite their many attempts to take out the leadership or root their schemes in the organization. Say what you will about ACME, but they were loyal to the end when it came down to it.

Either that, or Julia Argent had finally taken control. That was a good possibility. Player frowned in thought.

_“Jules would understand!”_

Now there was an idea.

_2._

_They’re all still alive._

Player had been terrified for a while that VILE would just kill them and be done with it. Now, though… sometimes he wasn’t sure which was worse.

Knowing what VILE would do to him if he got caught… _At least we’ll all be together again._ Player mused, before slapping the thought away.

Thinking that way… it was starting to happen more and more, and he knew Carmen and the others would be horrified to hear it.

 _I’m so tired, Red. So, so tired. When can I be done? When will it be over?_ Player slapped that wish away too. He signed up for this. He would finish this. He _would._

_1._

_I’m still alive._

For now.

Player got up, minding his ribs, and went to start his day.


	2. Correspondence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> noun: communication by exchanging letters with someone

_Hey, Ms. Argent, I know you don’t know me, but I know you. My friends called me Player, and I used to be Carmen Sandiego’s hacker- I mean, before she got captured by VILE, so please don’t freak out and call the police because it’s actually a super long story and_

Player’s head hit the keyboard with a resounding bang, sending scattered gibberish across the email he was attempting to compose. It was going terribly, and he honestly couldn’t think of a way to phrase it without sending Ms. Argent running to the Chief.

Carmen had always said Ms. Argent had been a cut above the rest of the agents, the only one willing to listen and make educated opinions for herself rather than following the rest of the pack. In short, she was quickly becoming the only plan Player had left. He couldn’t do this by himself, as loath as he was to admit it. He needed someone to trust, and with everyone else… gone… he was running out of options.

But nothing he wrote came out correctly, and he was terrified that Ms. Argent would get the wrong idea and set even more people on his tail than before. VILE hounding him was enough, thanks.

Player eyed the page of information he had squeezed out of the substandard laptop. Along with Ms. Argent’s birthdate and other information, her personal phone number was listed. Player bit his lip in thought.

She might not even answer.

Then again, most of his life was an uncertainty. And Player needed _someone_ in his corner. If Ms. Argent wasn’t that person, well… then he would move on. There were more people out there. He could do this.

Player hesitantly tapped out Ms. Argent’s number before his finger was hovering over the _call_ button. He went to take a deep breath before choking it off as he remembered his ribs. He was never breaking them again if he could help it, because beyond the pain behind the injury there was the sheer _inconvenience._ Seriously.

Player refocused on the screen, before finally taking the plunge and clicking _call._

One ring. Two. Three. Four. Fi-

“Hello?” Ms. Argent’s soft but crisp voice filtered out of the laptop, and Player froze. “Hello?” The woman repeated, tone becoming slightly confused. “Who is this?”

Player still couldn’t make his mouth move.

“Is anyone there?” Her voice was becoming faintly impatient, and Player snapped out of his revere.

“Yes! P-please don’t hang up!”

“I- who is this?” Ms. Argent repeated, bewildered. “Do I know you?”

“N-no.” Player stuttered, frantically trying to regain his composure. “But we- we have a mutual acquaintance?” It came out as a question and Player cursed his lack of social skills.

“Do we?” Ms. Argent sounded suspicious.

“Y-yes! Um-” Player gulped. “Carmen Sandiego?”

Silence.

“ _Carmen Sandiego_ is a criminal. She steals for VILE, and only VILE, as she told me herself, and I aim to keep her from harming any other national treasures that are meant for public admiration and enjoyment. Now, I don’t know who you think you are, or what kind of joke you’re pulling, but-” Ms. Argent’s voice was cold, and Player panicked.

“No! Please, it’s not like that, I swear! Red- Carmen- She’s not herself anymore. She would never willingly work with- I- we used to be friends, best friends, and I was her hacker, but then she got captured by VILE and they messed with her head and then- and then-”

Player choked, eyes filling with the tears he had held in for so long. Ms. Argent stayed quiet, seemingly stunned into silence. “And then they sent her after the rest of us. I-Ivy, and Zack, a-and Shadowsan. And they got them all, and d-destroyed them too, until it was only m-me, and they found my house and tried to t-take me and the hard drive, b-but I got away, and now-”

Player stopped again, breath hiccupping on sobs, ribs screaming from his ragged breathing, “I’m all that’s left. And I-I don’t know what I’m _doing_. I d-don’t know how to save them, and take down VILE, when- when I’m just a hacker. I’m just _me._ And so- and so I called you. Because Red always told me you were one of the only ones who- who listened.” The flow of words stopped, and Player swiped a hand over his eyes. He hadn’t meant to tell her _everything,_ but it had been weeks since he had spoken to a soul, let alone told anyone what had happened, and it just sort of… spilled out.

Ms. Argent stayed quiet for a moment before speaking, words slow and careful. “Can you tell me your name?”

“My friends call- called me Player, Ms. Argent.” Player managed.

“Player.” Ms. Argent seemed to test out the name on her tongue before continuing. “Very well then. Player, where are you now?”

Player jerked back from the screen, letting out a soft cry of pain as it jostled his chest. “W-what?”

“Are you _safe_?” Ms. Argent pressed.

“Safe?” The hacker asked incredulously, “Ms. Argent, I haven’t been ‘safe’ since the moment they captured Red.” He laughed tiredly.

“Player…” Ms. Argent sighed in frustration. “If you want me to help you-”

“You’re going to help me?” Player interrupted, eyes widening.

“I’m _trying,_ but if you can’t tell me where you are-”

Player cut her off again. “But I don’t need that kind of help! I just need to save my friends! And put VILE in jail.” He added as an afterthought. “So do you believe me or not?” He asked desperately.

Ms. Argent didn’t answer for a few moments, and Player waited with baited breath. “I’m not sure.” She answered truthfully. “A lot of things never added up with Carmen Sandiego’s case, and your story definitely fills in a couple of blanks. But if you really _are_ telling the truth, as I believe so far, then you need to get somewhere secure as fast as possible.” This time she cut off Player as he began his protests. “I know you are worried about your friends, but the fact remains that you are currently the _only_ lead left in this case that could possibly bring justice to the correct parties, and if you are compromised, there is _no hope_ for any of them.”

Player’s mouth shut with a click. “I- I can’t go to ACME.” He finally whispered weakly. “VILE has eyes and ears trained there, I’ll be found within the hour.”

Ms. Argent processed the information before sighing in acquiescence. “You are right.” Her voice hardened. “ACME may not be able to help you, but I can. Agent Devineaux!” She called, voice dimmed from directing it away from the phone. “I’m taking a vacation! I’ll be back in a week or so!”

A rush of windy static told Player Ms. Argent was likely speed walking away, faint exclamations in French following her as Devineaux shouted protests. Player was just as stunned as the Frenchman, mouth dropped open and gaping in stunned disbelief.

“Now. Where in the world did you say you were?” Ms. Argent asked casually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Player: um hi  
> Jules: *whips out adoption papers*


End file.
